Jesus in the Qur’an and Islamic Tradition

1. Jesus in the Qur’anand Islamic Tradition Presentation by Vernon K. Robbins [In the menu on the top line, click “Slide Show,” then “From Beginning.” This will activate this Power Point in your computer. You must have “Windows Media Audio” on your computer to hear the audio.] Either left click or push the right arrow on your keyboard to proceed to the instructions on the next slide.

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4. Jesus in the Qur’anand Islamic Tradition Presentation by Vernon K. Robbins

5. Basic Information 570 AD: Muhammad’s birth Place: Mecca, Saudi Arabia Learned trading from Uncle Abu Talib 595 AD: Married Khadijah: rich widow Took a month retreat yearly near Mt. Hira 610 AD: First revelation of Qur’an 40 yrs old: month retreat Ramadan 622 AD: Hijrah from Mecca to Yathrib/Medina Islamic State and Constitution 632 AD: Death of Muhammad

8. Earliest Revelation: 96:1-5 In the name of thy Lord who created. Created man from a clot. And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous, Who taught by the pen, Taught man that which he knew not.

9. Jewsin Muhammad’s Life Jews were present in Mecca, before Muhammad went to Medina. Many Jewish tribes were present at Medina. Some Jewish tribes of Medina opposed Muhammad. In the Constitution of Medina, Jews were included in Muhammad’s community as long as they contributed to the welfare of the community.

10. Christiansin Muhammad’s Life While a young man traveling as a trader, Muhammad had conversations with Christian monks and hermits. Muhammad’s wife Khadijah had a cousin Waraqa, who became a Christian and influenced Muhammad. Christians are mentioned in Qur’an revelations only after Muhammad moved to Medina. In the Constitution of Medina, Christians were included alongside Jews as people who receive protection if they were peaceful with Muhammad’s community.

11. Jesusin the Qur’an Jesus (Isa): 25 times in the Qur’an Q 2:87: And verily We gave unto Moses the Scripture and We caused a train of messengers to follow after him, and We gave unto Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs (of God’s sovereignty), and We supported him with the Holy Spirit.

12. Jesus among the Prophets in the Qur’an Q 2:136: Say (O Muslims): We believe in God and what is revealed unto us and what was revealed unto Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and what Moses and Jesus received, and what the prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have surrendered.

13. The Ancestors of Jesusin the New Testament Paul’s Letter to the Romans 1:3-4 Jesus Christ • Descended from David according to the flesh • Declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead

14. Family Genealogies in the New Testament • Gospel of Matthew 1 • Gospel of Luke 3

15. The Ancestors of Jesusin Gospel of Matthew 1:1-17 • Abraham (Jesus is Son of Abraham) • to • David (Jesus is Son of David) • through • Joseph, Son of David (Matt 1:20) • Mary has no family line in Matthew!

16. The Ancestors of Jesusin Gospel of Luke 3:23-38 • Adam, son of God (Jesus is Son of God: Luke 3:22; 4:3, 9) • Abraham • David (Jesus is Son of David) Luke 1:32; 18:38-39 • Joseph, father of Jesus, as was supposed Luke 3:23

17. Information about Jesus in the Qur’an • The Qur’an has no information from the Gospel of Matthew. • Jesus information in the Qur’an is related to the Gospels of Luke and John only. • Only Luke has Zechariah and Elizabeth, parents of John the Baptist, whom the Qur’an knows.

18. Angel Gabriel and Jesus in the Qur’an • In Luke, the angel Gabriel comes and speaks first to Zechariah in the temple and second to Mary at her home. • From a Muslim perspective, when the angel Gabriel brought God’s words to Zechariah and Mary, these were “Quranic” moments in history.

19. Gabriel “recites” God’s wordsto Special People throughout History • Six hundred years later, the same Gabriel brought words of God to Muhammad. • These words are “Qur’an” (“the recitation” [al-Qur’an] of God’s words). • There are 114 chapters of God’s words to Muhammad in the Qur’an, revealed by angels (most often “Gabriel”).

20. Mary and Her Familyin the Qur’an • Chapter 19 in the Qur’an has the title “Mary.” • It focuses on Mary, the mother of Jesus. • Chapter 3 in the Qur’an has the title “Family of Imran.” • In Muslim tradition, Imran is the father of Mary. • The name “Imran” is the Arabic of “Amram,” the name of the father of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam (Maryam or Mary) in the Old Testament.

21. Mary, Mother of Jesus,in the Qur’an • Mary’s name occurs 34 times in the Qur’an • Mary’s name occurs 19 times in the New Testament (fewer than the Qur’an) • Reason: 21 of the 25 times in the Qur’an Jesus is called Jesus son of Mary • Mary is the only “named” woman in the Qur’an. Seven others are “wife of …” [e.g., Noah].

22. The Qur’an also knowsthe Infancy Gospel of James (200 AD Christian Gospel) • Extends Luke before the birth of John the Baptist back to the birth of Mary to Anna. • As a child, Mary is kept in a holy bedroom like a small place of worship. • Mary is placed in the Jerusalem Temple at age three (like Samuel) to be kept holy.

23. Infancy Gospel of James cont. • In Infancy James, Zechariah the father of John the Baptist is High Priest of the Temple when Mary is there. • Mary is taken out of the Temple at age 12 so she will not pollute it with her blood flow. • Mary is assigned to Joseph who already has sons (James, Joses, Jude).

24. The Qur’an never refersto Joseph, husband of Mary • The Qur’an never refers to New Testament Joseph (only Old Testament Joseph: Q 12). • Therefore, in the Qur’an Jesus is never “son of Joseph.” • Jesus is only “son of Mary” in the Qur’an.

25. God said, “Be,” to Create both Adam and Jesus • 3:59: Lo! the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam. • He created him out of dust, then God said to him: “Be!” and he is.

26. The Angels gave God’s word to Mary, and it was Jesus! • 3:45: And remember when the angels said: “O Mary! Lo! God gives you glad tidings of a word from him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, • illustrious in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near to God.”

27. In the Qur’an God’s word in Mary is Jesus • Notice the relation of the Gospel of John, “In the beginning was the Word,” • and the Gospel of Luke, where Mary says to the angel, “Let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

28. Who is Mary in the Qur’an? • Q 66:12: And Mary daughter of Imran (Amram), whose body was chaste, therefore We breathed into her something of Our Spirit. And she put faith in the words of her Lord and His scriptures, and was of the obedient.

29. Who is Mary in the Qur’an? • Q 19:28: O [Mary], sister of Aaron! Your father was not a wicked man nor was your mother a harlot. • Mary is “holy,” of the family of Moses, Aaron the priest, and Maryam their sister.

30. Mary, Mother of Jesus,in Gospel of Luke • Mary is a relative of Elizabeth, Zechariah’s wife (Luke 1:36) • Elizabeth is “a daughter of Aaron” (Luke 1:5) • Moses appointed his brother Aaron and his sons as priests (Exodus 28:1)

31. The Name Mary, Mother of Jesus • Moses and Aaron have a sister named Miriam • Miriam, Mariam, and Maryam are the same name in Hebrew and Greek • Mary’s name (Maryam) is a family name of Moses and Aaron • Amram is the father of Moses, Aaron, and Maryam in the Old Testament (Num 26:59)

32. Mary, Mother of Jesus,in Gospel of Luke • Zechariah, Elizabeth’s husband, • is of the family of priest Abijah (Luke 1:5), grandson of Aaron • Mary’s relatives have a priestly ancestry through Aaron • Mary has “priestly blood-line” from Aaron • Mary is “holy”

33. Gospels of Luke and JohnBlend together in the Qur’an • In the Qur’an, Jesus as “the Word” in the Gospel of John • and Jesus as “the word of glad tidings” in the Gospel of Luke, which Gabriel brings to Mary, blend together. • Gabriel brought the word “Be” from God to Mary, and Jesus was in the womb of Mary to be born in the world.

34. Jesusin the Quran • In the Qur’an, Jesus is “the Word” from God that came to Mary, mother of Jesus. • The word of God to Mary was “Gospel” (“Injil” in Arabic = “Evangel”). • In the Qur’an, Jesus alone of all Prophet/Messengers heals and raises the dead.

35. Jesus Heals and Raises Deadin the Quran (cf. Luke)

36. Jesus “Plays Creation”as a 5 year old Boy

37. Compare Gospel of John with Infancy Thomas and the Qur’an • In John, “the Word” (Jesus) causes “all things to come into being through him,” • and “what came into being through him was life” (John 1:3-4). • In Infancy Gospel of Thomas and Qur’an, Jesus as a five year old boy causes birds to come into being and have life.

38. In the Qur’anJesus Speaks from the Cradle

39. Jesus Speaks from the Cradle • We should expect, should we not, that “the Word” would be able to speak as soon as he was born? • Once again, “the Word” from the Gospel of John blends with “the word Gabriel brought to Mary” in the Gospel of Luke.

40. The Gospel of Johnand the Quran • In addition to Jesus as “the Messenger Word of the Gospel” in the Qur’an, various verses in Qur’an have a relation to the Gospel of John. • John 17 (Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer) has an important relation to the final verses of Chapter 5 in the Quran.